Imagine Review: A Chaotically Strange Animation Drawing on Indigenous Perspectives
The Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled a truly distinctive cinematic creation with Imagine, a film that defies conventional narrative structures while weaving Indigenous wisdom throughout its trippy visual landscape. Co-directed by Bundjalung author and social entrepreneur Jack Manning Bancroft and scholar Tyson Yunkaporta from the Apalech clan in far north Queensland, this animation represents a bold departure from mainstream filmmaking.
A Surreal Journey Through Alternate Realities
Attempting to summarise the plot of Imagine proves challenging, as the film deliberately embraces a skittish, non-linear approach that mirrors its pandemic-era origins. The story follows teenager Kim, voiced by Yolande Brown, who finds herself pulled into a surreal alternate universe alongside her new companion Jeff – a bright-green alien dog voiced by co-director Yunkaporta. Their adventure unfolds across five distinct islands that they must explore within a twenty-four-hour timeframe.
Like Alice tumbling through the rabbit hole, Kim travels through vortex-like thoroughfares filled with swirling colours and psychedelic patterns, encountering everything from giant glowing green Buddhas to dragon-like serpent creatures. The animation style itself varies dramatically throughout – sometimes appearing beautifully polished and vivid, while at other moments adopting an intentionally scratchy, lo-fi aesthetic that adds to the film's eclectic charm.
Star-Studded Voice Cast Brings Eccentric Characters to Life
The film boasts an impressive roster of vocal talent, with Taika Waititi playing an animated version of himself who dons a Thriller jacket and dispenses wisdom about pursuing dreams. Other notable cast members include Yael Stone, Wayne Blair as a rainbow serpent, Radical Son, Irmin Durand, and even Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe lending his voice to this unconventional project.
Kim functions less as a traditional protagonist and more as a sponge-like observer, absorbing the strange occurrences around them while maintaining a degree of agency reminiscent of video game characters. This approach allows the film to explore its bizarre worlds while maintaining narrative momentum, though some viewers might wish for more lingering moments in particularly intriguing settings.
Profound Dialogues Amidst Visual Chaos
Despite its frequently whacked-out moments and slap-happy pleasures, Imagine regularly dips into substantial philosophical territory. In one particularly striking sequence, Jeff engages in deep conversation with a Viking about knowledge, race, culture, fascism, and the very foundations of life. Meanwhile, the visual backdrop features weird pirate-like rats riding jetskis that never quite arrive – a perfect example of the film's tendency to introduce elements that pop like firecrackers before disappearing into parallel dimensions.
Indigenous perspectives permeate the narrative, sometimes subtly woven into the fabric of the story and at other moments presented with striking directness. One powerful scene set in a museum called "HISTORY 'n' Other Stuff" features an elder guiding the protagonists while critiquing colonial approaches to cultural preservation: "This isn't like the museums your people made ... your people took memories and called them artefacts. Your people took stories and stuffed them."
Origins in Pandemic-Era Educational Collaboration
The film's unique structure and spirit can be traced to its origins during the early pandemic period, when it was conceived through Indigenous mentoring program AIME's educational project Imagi-Nation TV. This initiative compiled contributions from more than 150 young people, resulting in a collaborative creative process that helps explain the film's scattershot approach and democratic spirit.
While some might find the relentless pacing overwhelming – like sitting in a car whizzing through amazing environments without proper opportunity to absorb them – the film's chaotic energy ultimately contributes to its memorable impact. Imagine represents a genuinely one-of-a-kind production that blends ancient wisdom with contemporary animation techniques, creating an experience likely to linger in viewers' memories long after the credits roll.
Having premiered at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, Imagine is now available in Australian cinemas, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience Indigenous storytelling through a wildly imaginative and philosophically rich animated lens.
